ON a cold wintry Auckland afternoon in front of the vocal Ericsson faithful, the NZ Warriors have finally shown the form most people expect to see. The move with Stacey Jones back to the halfback role, and Villasanti in the Number 11 jersey certainly paid dividends as the NZ Warriors team played the full 80 minutes against a Raiders side who were just as hungry for the win as the Warriors were.

A picture says a thousand words. In this case it was the Cronulla Sharks and their fans embracing as they overcame the Brisbane Broncos 30 to 22 at Suncorp Stadium this afternoon.
The game didn?t go all the Sharks way however as the Broncos forwards dominated their less fancied counterparts in the early stages, leading 12-nil after just 12 minutes.
As the game went on, the Cronulla side grew in confidence throwing the ball around and making metres through the middle of the ruck.

SATURDAY MAY 8
Redcliffe Dolphins v Ipswich Jets, 2.10pm, Dolphin Oval
ABC Televised match of the round...Redcliffe is coming off its first loss of the season, while Ipswich is coming off its first win?The Jets will be missing three-quarter Gordon Rattler who broke his collarbone in the 38-8 victory against Tweed Heads?However, long-time North Queensland Cowboy Kyle Warren is fit for the visitors despite some concern about his knee?Redcliffe coach Neil Wharton has tinkered with his forwards, sliding forward mainstays Danny Burke and Grant Flugge back to bench and promoting Nathan Sologinkin and Gavin Cooper to the starting 13?Nathan Black has been elevated from the Dolphins? Mixwell Cup side and will play the reserve hooker role usually filled by Matt Anderton?The rivalry between these two clubs has grown since a heated grand final in 2002, with Wharton predicting several weeks ago that Trevor Gillmeister?s Jets would lift in time to face his club?Since the Queensland Cup began in 1996 Ipswich has never won at Dolphin Oval, amounting to a string of 10 successive losses on the peninsula.

SATURDAY night marks the most historic landmark for any of our players during the Warriors history. It marks a celebration of a club man who bleeds, breathes and savours the Warriors. That man is none other than our Little General, Stacey Jones.

AFTER a week off the Pepsi Dolphins are looking forward to getting back on to the paddock this weekend against the Ipswich Jets.
Congratulations go to Charles Vis and Gavin Cooper for their selection in the Queensland Under 19's team to play NSW.
Wayne Bond's good form has not only forced Terry Jones to comeback from injury in Colts but also earned him training stints with the first grade side. Should anything happen to Michael Roberts coach Wharton will have to look no further than the 17 year old Bond as his replacement.
A few lower grade players are starting to make their returns from injury with Val Fa'amoe, Bede Tuohy, Daley White, Sam Fillery and Daniel Jones all due to make returns to field this weekend.
Coach Wharton has made a couple of changes to the Queensland Cup side for the ABC TV game against Ipswich at Dolphin Oval this Saturday. Phil Shilvock returns after attending his sisters wedding two weeks ago and A Grade hooker Nathan Black makes his first grade debut.
The full Qld Cup side is
Trent Leis
Phil Shilvock
Damien Richters
Brian Jellick
Joel Barnes
Shane Perry
Michael Roberts
Troy Lindsay (c)
Justin McKay
Adam Starr
Gavin Cooper
Nathan Sologinkin
Daniel Green
Interchange
Nathan Black
Danny Burke
Grant Flugge
Andrew Wynyard

ONE of Australia's greatest living citizens, the incomparable Frank Hyde, will make a nostalgic return visit this Saturday (May 8) to the ground where his seventy-years connection with senior Rugby League football all began - Henson Park, the home-ground of the code's oldest club, Newtown. Frank will be attending the VB Premier League fixture between two of his former clubs, Newtown and North Sydney, which kicks off at 3.00pm. The clubs compete on an annual basis for the Frank Hyde Cup, which goes on the line this Saturday, as Newtown are already one-up in the 2004 three-match series.
Frank joined the Newtown Rugby League Football Club at the beginning of the 1934 season, and he went on to play with considerable distinction with the Bluebags, as well as with the Balmain, Waratah-Mayfield and North Sydney clubs. He won representative honours with NSW Country, Sydney and NSW. Only scoundrels of the calibre of Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo prevented Frank from winning certain Australian selection, as there was no international football played between 1939 and 1945. He went on to an illustrious career in radio broadcasting and other media work and to a permanent place in the folklore of NSW. It is no exaggeration to say that there is no more greatly admired and respected figure in NSW sporting history than this man.
The Newtown Rugby League Football Club is proud to welcome home one of its greatest sons, and here's hoping plenty of Newtown, North Sydney and other fans of Rugby League get down to Henson Park this coming Saturday afternoon to share this special moment with one of the game's finest.